Benedict Cumberbatch Bi, Gay or Straight?

Is Benedict Cumberbatch Gay or Straight?

It seems people everywhere want to know if Benedict Cumberbatch is gay or straight. They want to know if Cumberbatch is single or married and who he has dated. This sexy British actor who has starred in roles ganging from the iconic Sherlock Holmes to the notorious villain Genghis Khan in Star Trek is a global rage. While his fame continues to skyrocket, gay rumors about Cumberbatch seem to follow his bright comet trail. But are these bits of pink gossip true?

Read our article and learn more about this handsome actor. Vote in our poll and share your thoughts about Benedict Cumberbatch, the mega-watt celebrity who seems to be a mystery to everyone. Is Benedict Cumberbatch gay or straight?

Relationship history:

“Fame is a weird one. You need to distance yourself from it. People see a value in you that you don’t see yourself.” – Brainy Quote.

IMBD Bio Snippet for Benedict Cumberbatch

Benedict Timothy Carlton Cumberbatch was born and raised in London, England, UK. His parents, Timothy Carlton and Wanda Ventham, are both actors. At Whilst at Harrow, he had an arts scholarship and painted large oil canvases. It’s also where he began acting. After he finished school, he took a year off to teach English in a Tibetan monastery. He studied drama at Manchester University. He continued his training with a one-year course at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. By the time he had completed his studies- IMBD

Background on Benedict Cumberbatch

Benedict Cumberbatch is perhaps one of the most intriguing personalities in the entertainment world that we have seen in some time. Relatively new to American audiences, the British Cumberbatch has been a hit with fans across the pond for a while.

According to IMBD, he has appeared in British television, film and radio, with his first movie role happening in 2002 playing the role of Jeremy in the flick, Fields of Gold. Cumberbatch has also appeared on stage as an actor, first studying drama at the Manchester University and then taking a one year course at one-year course at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (IMDB). His first breakout role occurred in 2004 when he portrayed famous physicist Stephen Hawking in the BBC television movie, Hawking (IMDB).

What Fuels Gay Rumors about Benedict Cumberbatch

There are a number of reasons why gay rumors may be attached to Benedict Cumberbatch. One major source of fuel for gossip relates directly to the roles he has played in movies and on television. SOG will walk you through several of the important ones.

Tinker Taylor Solider Spy

In 2011, Cumberbatch appeared in a movie entitled, Tinker Taylor Solider Spy, a flick that is based off the 1974 British spy novel by British author John le Carré. In this movie, Cumberbatch plays the role of Peter Guillam, a closeted gay spy whose cover has been blown while in North Africa. Throughout the movie, gay undertones are seen with this character through inner conflict. For moviegoers (especially gay men) the theme was obvious. “Tinker Taylor” was nominated for an Oscar Award (IMDB) and won a British Independent Film Award under the category of Best Technical Environment (IMDB). Cumberbatch himself was received an award from the Central Ohio Film Critics Association for his role in this flick (IMDB). The movie was wildly popular with gay audiences, propelling Cumberbatch to pink stardom virtually overnight. He and the movie were celebrated by many within the GLBT community and mentioned in popular gay blogs like Towleroad.com.

Benedict Cumberbatch was asked directly about the gay undertones of his character in a 12/8/11 interview appearing on uinterview.com. He offered the following as part of his answer “You learn that an awful lot of it is a front for him and there’s a crisis both in his heart and his home life and in his mind by the time he goes through what he has to go through for Smiley that alters that perspective we see of him in the beginning being a bit of a Bond-esque glamor boy in this otherwise very Durer and sort of rainy spy world.” (uniterview.com, 2011).

It is important to note here that Cumberbatch himself is a private person, which for people in the public spotlight is understandable. There is however the danger of fans confusing the role an actor plays with their personal life, projecting attributes upon a star which may or may not be accurate, according to a 2013 article that speaks to this subject entitled, Why some people stalk celebrities.

In a 2012 news item that appeared in Now Daily, Cumberbatch speaks about his privacy when referring to fans taking photos of him with smart-phones. “What really pisses me off is people trying to surreptitiously take a photo on their phone. That f*cks me off”, said the actor. Female fans of Cumberbatch are often referred to as “Cumberbitches”.

In this same interview, the actor speaks to his rising fame with audiences and expresses thoughts about those who are obsessed with him. “There’s some obsessive behaviour, which is a bit worrying – for them, not for me”, according to the news item.

In a September, 2013 interview appearing on Entertainmentwise.com, Cumberbatch shares his frustration with some fans that seem to confuse his acting roles with his private life. “I’m not like Holmes [referring to his Sherlock Holmes role – discussed next] I don’t have his capacity to compartmentalize.” He then goes on to mimic some of the speculation that he hears from some fans. “I’m now haunted with him [referring again his role as Sherlock Homes], ‘But he did want children, and now he doesn’t? What’s gone wrong? Is he gay? Can’t he commit to relationships? All this speculative sh**t”.

Sherlock

Another role in which Cumberbatch appears is Sherlock, a British television crime drama that is an adaptation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes detective stories (Wikipedia). In this popular series, Cumberbatch (Sherlock Homes) is involved with solving mysteries related to crimes, much like one would expect from the original detective storiesdating back to the late 1800s (Wikipedia).

In this modernized version of the sleuth crime solver, Holmes and Watson [Martin Freeman] experience bisexual undertones, which have caused some fans to speculate on the sexual orientation of the main show’s main characters. Samantha Pajor of Policy Mic explains this in detail.

It is important to note here that there was in fact to be a gay scene in Sherlock for season three but it was cut by the show’s producers, as confirmed by Cumberbatch himself in an interviews appearing on 3 News (2/7/13). For those who are interested, the actor offers insight into the relationship between Holmes and Watson in a televised interview in March of 2013.

Officiating a Gay Wedding

Another major source of fuel behind gay rumors regarding Benedict Cumberbatch relates to his involvement in a same sex wedding in the summer of 2013. As originally reported in The Sun on July 24, 2013 and carried by The Huffington Post on July 25, 2013, Cumberbatch skipped the pop culture Comic-Con convention in San Diego, instead opting to officiate a same sex wedding ceremony between Seth Cummings Rob Rinder at the Hotel Hacienda in Ibiza.

It is reported that Cumberbatch registered to become a minister by filling out a form on the Universal Life Church Monastery’s website according to Distilled.com. When interviewed about the subject, he told The Sun, “Of course, I’m going to make a joke after it, ‘I do weddings. Next will be children’s parties and bat mitzvahs,’ if it goes well. It’s a mainly Jewish and gay audience, so hopefully they will be lenient towards me”.Fun Fact: Cumberbatch actually taught English for a year at a Tibetan monastery, according to IMDB.

Below is video of Cumberbatch talking about his involvement in the same sex wedding at the Toronto International Film Festival.

Star Trek: Into the Darkness

Cumberbatch widely introduced to American audiences in his role as of Khan in the highly rated movieStar Trek: Into the Darkness, released in 2013 (IMBD). The movie itself follows a long line of Star Trek television shows and movies as part of the Star Trek franchise, which happens to have one of the largest fan bases in the world. In this film, dubbed Star Trek II “rebooted” (CNET.Com), Cumberbatch co-stars with super sexy actor Christopher Pine who plays the role of James T. Kirk as Captain of the U.S.S. Enterprise (IMDB).

It is important to note here that Pine himself has been the subject of gay rumors, which is not uncommon for massively handsome actors who reach mega-watt celebrity status. Some have suggested a “gay bromance” between Kirk and Spock in the move, as witnessed in the blog “Bitch Flicks”. Fun Fact: Openly gay actor Zachary Quinto also starred in this movie in his role as Spock (Reuters.com)

Straight or Gay Comments

Benedict Cumberbatch has been repeatedly named one of the sexiest actors alive, as identified in Glamour, Empire, The Sun and People. He has made the cover of the British version of GQ in in January, 2014. He is captivating to British and American audiences alike because of his stellar acting abilities and of course his hideously handsome good looks.

A notoriously private man, Cumberbatch recently shared with the Hollywood reporter that he avoids social media, stating it “Could take over my life and probably ruin it” (Hollywood Reporter, 2014).

Many who follow this actor have assumed that he is gay, in large part because of the roles he has played and because of his friendships with gay people. Cumberbatch has also been a major supporter of GLBT rights (Tiff Daily Video)

The public record of Benedict Cumberbatch’s relational history stands in stark contrast to the gay rumors. He was in a 12-year relationship Olivia Poulet that ended in 2010 (Fashion and News).The Mail Online reports that he is attracted to “Independent, career minded women.

And the actor himself as publicly expressed his desire to be married and offers insight into his ideal woman according to a published interview appearing on ELLE Japan in 2013. These traits include, “A woman who knows that she doesn’t have to get all decked out to look good is sexy” and “A woman who can make you feel smart with her conversation skills is also sexy” (ELLE Japan,2013). As an aside, Cumberbatch interviews are always challenging to understand, as mentioned in a BBC America poke at the actor (bbcamerica.com)

One other fact here that should be stated is that Wikipedia lists Benedict Cumberbatch as a “Straight Ally” of GLBT rights.

However uncomfortable, we would be remiss in not mentioning gay stereotypes that exist among some Americans about the British (particularly British men) dating back decades. In a famous episode of Archie Bunker, (played by Carroll O’Connor), Archie verbalizes this stereotype in colorful terms that would likely never pass through network sensors in today. We are including the video here.

Benedict Cumberbatch is indeed a mystery to many, which some have suggested is in part by design to keep his fans guessing. He has a cult of followers who absolutely adore him and hang on his every word.

We hope to see Benedict Cumberbatch in our theaters and on our televisions for many years to come. He is a highly talented actor who has reached mega-watt stardom in just a few short years.